"You flatter me," Alan humbly raised the coffee cup in his hand. "With your strength, achieving these things would be effortless. Perhaps we'll have opportunities to cooperate in the future, and then I'll have much to rely on you for."
"Oh? Cooperation? What do you mean?" Clement knew the main event was coming, but he still put on a curious expression.
"Indeed, I came to Germany this time for cooperation," Alan said, deliberately showing a puzzled expression. "And I think the progress of our cooperation even needs to be accelerated, because I've discovered some perplexing things here."
"Really? Please feel free to ask if there's anything I can do for you. Although I'm just a small person, I know West Germany quite well," Clement said with a smile, personally refilling Alan's coffee cup.
"West Germany… that's what puzzles me greatly," Alan emphasized the word. "I've found that in Germany, East Germany and West Germany are almost completely divided into two worlds, and even this Duden Building is no exception."
"This is indeed a special situation for us. Our West Germans don't have a harmonious relationship with East Germany. There are historical reasons for this. It seems you're also very interested in politics?" Clement nodded slightly.
"I don't really care about politics, but it has caused me a lot of trouble in business," Alan said, setting down his cup and speaking seriously. "You should have seen that I had reached cooperation agreements with two German merchants when I was in Egypt."
"But who would have thought that these two merchants belonged to different… uh, how should I put it, regions?" Alan paused. "One is in East Germany, responsible for selling our civilian products, and one is in West Germany, responsible for selling alchemy equipment."
"But this results in our Silver Lightning Trading Company's two product lines being unable to circulate fully in both regions. East Germans can't buy our alchemy amulets, and West Germans can't see those magic lamps. This is equivalent to me losing half of the local market."
Alan shook his head with a distressed expression, as if a large pile of Galleons were waving at him.
"Isn't that the truth? This is indirectly causing me to lose a lot of business." Alan shook his head helplessly, then looked up at Clement. "As an elite in Germany, what do you think of this division between East and West Germany? When will the situation here ease?"
"What kind of elite am I?" Clement first humbly shook his head, then said sincerely, "Regarding the relationship between East and West Germany, I'm not being pessimistic, but I believe that if things continue like this, the possibility of division is much greater than reunification."
"Oh? How much greater do you think? Is the possibility of reunification statistically high?" Alan asked curiously, even though he knew the other party was the leader of the organization orchestrating the division. He didn't want to reveal too much of his own hand.
"If you ask me…" Clement pretended to ponder for a moment. "I think there's a ninety percent chance that Germany will continue its process of division, and in a few years, this place will no longer be one country. Perhaps even the Ministry of Magic will be split in two because of this."
"It seems you also don't have high hopes for Germany's reunification. The other people I've visited these past few days share the same view," Alan frowned slightly, appearing conflicted. "If that's the case, then Silver Lightning Trading Company's strategy in Germany will have to change."
"You don't know…" Alan said somewhat wistfully, "This time I came to Germany mainly to find a product distributor for long-term cooperation. My current cooperation with those two merchants can only last for one year."
"But with the current situation in Germany, perhaps one distributor won't be enough for the market. Both East Germany and West Germany need a merchant to cooperate with."
"And what's even more troublesome now is that goods between East and West Germany cannot circulate freely. Perhaps before I finalize a long-term distributor, I'll have to first secure two temporary agents on both sides, so that East Germany can sell alchemy equipment and West Germany can sell civilian items."
"This is much more troublesome than I initially imagined," Alan said, showing a troubled expression.
*As I expected, this kid is here to negotiate with distributors.* Clement silently patted himself on the back, then replied with a smile, "Oh, Alan, this is actually not troublesome at all. You just need to turn these two collaborations into one."
"Oh? What do you mean?" Alan played along with the act.
"You just need to choose a long-term distributor in both East and West Germany, and then let them sell the products that are missing in their respective local markets first. After the other short-term contracts end, you can then complete their product categories. Wouldn't that solve it?"
Clement didn't think someone like Alan wouldn't consider this. Wasn't this kid just trying to get him to proactively propose a cooperation intention and then gain the upper hand? He believed he had seen through Alan's little scheme, but he didn't mind it, as long as he could secure the distributor spot.
"Your idea could indeed save me a lot of time," Alan nodded subtly, then went straight to the point. "I wonder, Mr. Clement, are you interested in Silver Lightning Trading Company's business?"
"Naturally," Clement said without hiding anything. "If you are willing to cooperate with my trading company, I believe we can definitely combine our strengths. I will certainly assist you with all my might in developing the local market."
"Combining strengths, you say?" Alan nodded upon hearing this. "However, there are also many capable merchants in Germany. I don't necessarily have a reason to choose yours. Perhaps I should gather several merchant owners and host a bidding process to see everyone's sincerity."
"Mr. Wilson," Clement immediately put on a serious expression. "With all due respect, there aren't many merchants in West Germany who can take on your business right now. To be frank, my trading company has the highest market share in the alchemy industry here. Choosing to cooperate with us will certainly not disappoint you."
"Oh, is that so?" Alan merely nodded at this, then showed a thoughtful expression, as if considering something.
Seeing this, Clement cursed inwardly. *This kid really won't show his hand until he sees an advantage. Aren't you just trying to get me to reveal my bottom line?*
"Mr. Wilson, perhaps you could listen to my offer. If you find it suitable, there's no need to consult with other trading companies and waste your time."
Clement knew it was time for bargaining, but he was indeed in need of a favor. He might have to take a loss, and he hoped this young fox's appetite wasn't too big.
"Alright," Alan calmly replied after hearing Clement's words. "In that case, let me see Mr. Clement's sincerity."
"Mr. Wilson, our Clement Magical Supplies store is willing to pay you a one-time agency fee of 1,000 Galleons, place an order worth 3,000 Galleons, and directly pay a 20% deposit. At the same time, we guarantee to import at least 2,000 Galleons worth of goods from Silver Lightning Trading Company annually for the next three years."
Clement looked at Alan with a sincere expression. To be honest, the terms he offered were quite good; they even included his trading company's orders for the next three years. After all, who knew if Silver Lightning Trading Company's products would still have a market in two years, or if they would be impacted by other homogeneous products on the market? If pirated versions appeared and sold for less than Alan's products, his orders could potentially result in a loss.
Alan, upon hearing Clement's terms, couldn't help but nod inwardly. This old man was quite generous, but since he was here to fleece him this time, how could he not make him bleed profusely?
"Your offer indeed shows considerable sincerity," Alan said with a smile, but immediately changed the subject. "However, Germany is such a large market, even if it's split in two, an order of merely 3,000 Galleons will be easily consumed, not to mention the 2,000 Galleons per year thereafter, and the one-time agency fee."
Clement frowned upon hearing this, cursing Alan's greed inwardly, but still asked with a smile, "Then what are your thoughts?"
"Heh heh," Alan chuckled. "Mr. Clement, you must understand one thing: our Silver Lightning Trading Company's products have been tested in the Egyptian market. Even the alchemy masters in Egypt praised them highly, and they couldn't replicate my works in a short period of time."
After a brief setup, Alan began to make exorbitant demands. "Firstly, a three-year guaranteed order is too short, and the price is unreasonable. I propose at least a long-term contract guaranteed for five years! Among these, the first year's order must be at least 5,000 Galleons, and 5,000 Galleons must be guaranteed every year thereafter, for five consecutive years. Moreover, a one-time payment for the agency fee is not very reasonable. For the first payment, I won't change yours; 1,000 Galleons is fine. However, you still need to pay us an agency fee of 500 Galleons every year thereafter. This is the most basic sincerity!"
Clement's expression could no longer remain calm and composed. His eyes widened like brass bells. He hadn't expected Alan to be so ruthless. What was the difference between this and outright robbery?
However, before he could raise an objection, Alan continued, "At the same time, I'm somewhat concerned about whether your operating status as a distributor is truly as good as it appears. To cooperate with us, you only need to prepare 5,000 Galleons in cash as a reserve, deposited with Silver Lightning Trading Company, as a guarantee in case you are unable to pay the final balance!"